Tourexpi
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has warned
travelers to brace for potential flight delays and cancellations as the ongoing
government shutdown continues to strain the nation’s aviation system. Thousands
of air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
officers are now working without pay, raising concerns about morale and safety.
Speaking at a press conference at the Capitol
alongside House Speaker Mike Johnson and other Republican leaders, Duffy
acknowledged the growing frustration among aviation workers.
“I can’t guarantee you that your flight’s going to be
on time. I can’t guarantee that your flight’s not going to be canceled,” Duffy
said. “It’s going to depend on our air traffic controllers coming in to work
every single day.”
He thanked aviation staff for continuing to show up
despite not receiving paychecks and blamed Senate Democrats for prolonging the
shutdown.
“We need you to come to work,” he added. “But if they
do not, we’ll know whose fault it is.”
The shutdown, which began on October 1, has now
entered its 23rd day, making it the second-longest in U.S. history. It follows
repeated Senate rejections of a House-passed continuing resolution to fund the
government through November 21.
Tens of thousands working without pay
Speaker Johnson underscored the human impact, noting
that 13,000 air traffic controllers and more than 50,000 TSA officers are
currently reporting for duty unpaid. “They’re frustrated,” Duffy said,
describing recent visits to control towers where staff expressed anger over the
political stalemate.
White House: Democrats “shutting down American air
travel”
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt accused
Senate Democrats of “shutting down American air travel” and warned of severe
ripple effects across the economy.
She said more than 500,000 civilian federal employees
would miss a paycheck on Friday, while small business loans worth nearly $4
billion in monthly capital remain unapproved.
Leavitt highlighted the timing of the crisis, with the
Thanksgiving travel season approaching:
“If Democrats continue to keep the government closed,
we fear there will be significant flight delays, disruptions, and cancellations
across major airports this holiday season,” she said.
The shutdown has led to widespread disruption of
federal services, furloughs across agencies, and growing public concern as the
holiday travel rush nears — with no clear resolution in sight.
Image
Credit: © AA
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